One Moment
by Phoenix To Flame
Summary: Just a few words, said in haste by an exhausted messenger, turned around and changed her entire world.


Emmeryn is one of my favorite characters in Awakening, and when I was rereading some of my old books, the quote below just sounded like her in my head. And this sprang up around it.

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><p><em> Standing there, looking down the long expanse of hall at the enormous clock, she felt as if it were speaking to her. "From now on," it seemed to say, "Things will be different." - Magic Elizabeth<em>

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><p>It was just after midnight when the messenger arrived, his horse covered in sweat and the rider no better, to deliver the news that changed her whole world forever.<p>

Emmeryn, first princess of Ylisse and heir to the title of Exalt, had been awake already, sitting in her room watching the distant storm drawing closer with lightning dancing across the clouds. Despite the fact that she would be exhausted come morning, she couldn't resist the temptation to watch the storm come rolling in slowly.

So when she saw the horse come around the bend of the road at a dead sprint, only slowing at the gates, she knew it had to be important. Standing up from the window seat she'd perched herself in, she grabbed the robe that was really too long for her and swung it around her shoulders while looking in the crib to make sure that little Lissa was still asleep. Her baby sister slumbered peacefully with her fists balled up near her cheeks and her hair all mussed up. Emmeryn spared her only a quick smile before going down to see what the messenger came for.

The captain of the castle guard, Rodrick, met her at the bottom of the stairs. "Your highness," he said quietly, "You should not be up at this time." His tone was gentle, but faintly rebuking. She knew he had three daughters, the oldest just barely her age, and sometimes he forgot to address her as a princess. She didn't mind. He was a far better father than hers was, even if he couldn't be allowed to be one to her in any way besides rebuking her for staying up too late.

She looked up at him and said "There was a messenger that came galloping up the road. I must hear his message."

Rodrick hefted his spear in one hand and looked down at her. "You should not go alone to meet this messenger," he said quietly, falling into step just behind her as she started to walk.

Emmeryn smiled. "I will not, Captain." she said even quieter.

Outside, the air chilled her skin even through the robe she'd put on, and the storm seemed that much closer. On the other end of the courtyard, two of the guards were raising the bridge again as a stable boy just woken from sleep took the exhausted and worn out horse from the rider, who bent over double and coughed raggedly. A third guard offered him a waterskin, and she could see him practically snatch it and start gulping down water as she walked across the courtyard to him.

The man glanced up as he gulped down water, then coughed again and wiped at his mouth while bowing. "Your highness..." he said hoarsely and cleared his throat. "Your highness...I bring grim news."

She waited for him to catch his breath a little more before looking up at him and saying "Please do not stand on ceremony for me, you are exhausted," in a voice that came out much calmer than she felt as her stomach started to quiver. Overhead, thunder rolled lazily and the smell of rain came over the castle walls. "Do you bring news of my father?"

The man panted and handed the now empty waterskin to the guard who loaned it to him with a muttered "thanks" before swallowing and pulling off his helmet and dropping to one knee in front of her. "Your highness...no, your majesty..." he began, and her stomach dropped through the flagstones to the center of the earth. "Your father is dead."

The entire courtyard, quiet as it was, went dead silent. Emmeryn stood frozen where she was, looking at the man who waited for some kind of acknowledgment of his news, but she couldn't find anything to say. Behind her, she heard Rodrick breathe in sharply through his teeth, the faint whistle practically shattering the silence.

Her whole world yawned under her feet as the words rang through her head, and the first thing that came to her lips was "How?" And after it escaped her, she had to bite the inside of her lip to keep from breaking down in tears. Father had said that a queen never cried in front of her people.

The messenger either didn't notice, or he answered the queen and not the girl that stood in front of him. "An ambush by Plegian dastards a week ago. He took an arrow in the side and the wound festered." He bowed his head and said more quietly. "He passed away this afternoon. I rode all the way from the front of the army to get this message to you before anyone could usurp your title, your majesty."

Emmeryn swallowed and tears pricked at her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "Thank you, good sir," she said, her voice numb with the effort it took to keep from crying. "Please, Captain Rodrick, make sure this man gets food and a good place to sleep." she said, swallowing hard. "He has done us a great service." And if anyone noticed how her voice cracked at the end, none of them said anything.

Rodrick nodded once and motioned for someone to help him in. As the courtyard briefly turned into a flurry of motion, he knelt down in front of her, spear crossed over his knee like he'd held it when he accepted his duty of captain of the castle guard when she was four. "Your majesty," he said formally, "Though I may not be the best fighter, nor the best captain, I ask that until this war is ended, I be your guardian, and protect you from those who would wish to end your reign, until you ask me to step down." The words were solemn, and despite their lack of tradition, rang with the same power that the more traditional older oaths held.

Emmeryn swallowed and blinked back the tears that she still wouldn't let fall. "I accept, Sir Rodrick, Captain of the Castle Guard." she said, managing to keep her voice even. "I do not want this war to last any longer."

He stood up and saluted her, his spear at his side straight and tall. "Then would you permit me to send out messengers to our people in Plegia and recall them home?"

It was her first order as Exalt of Ylisse. And everything would change for good at this point. She was not old enough to rule truly, but she would do what was best for everyone, and end this war.

With the weight of the world settling onto her shoulders, she nodded slowly and said. "Yes."


End file.
